It’s impossible to protect our loved ones from all danger and it becomes more difficult as primary age children are raring to dip their big toe in the water of life. As long as they are aware of potential dangers we are able to give them some of their much-wanted freedom.

Safety At Home: Accidents can happen in the home as easily as anywhere else, when your mind is buzzing with a task of 101 things to do it’s easy to overlook the ball left idly on the stairs or a steaming iron propped on the kitchen unit. But the result of these lapses in concentration can be disastrous.

Safety on the Streets: Children need to be streetwise in more ways than one –

The Department of Transport suggests that the best age to teach the green cross code is between 7 and 9.

If children walk to school on their own, make sure they have identified the best places to walk and cross.

A brightly coloured jacket will make them visible to drivers.

Invest in a properly fitted cycle helmet and make sure your child wears it each time he or she drags the bike out.

Encourage your child to take a cycling proficiency test at school. They should not cycle in traffic before passing it.

In the car always ensure that he or she is strapped into that car safety seat.

From September 2006, new laws will dictate that all children up to the height of 135cm are secured in a car seat or booster cushion on all journeys in cars.

Water Safety: Children have a respect for water and may even be able to swim, but there can be a danger in being over-confident and boundaries need to be set. Unsupervised swimming in the sea or diving into rivers will appeal to any 10-year-old, but it also pushes the limits of safety. Make them aware that drowning is second only to road accidents, as the cause of death among children under 14. So teach them basic water safety.

Personal Safety: The threat of a child being attacked by a stranger is the most alarming worry of all for any parent. And although statistics show that this threat is relatively small, we still need to prepare our children to manage their personal safety –

Establish solid arrangements about getting to and from school. Your child must let you know his or her whereabouts at all times.

Make sure they know what to do if they are lost. For example, tell them to go to the nearest shop or busy place and ask to use the phone to call you or a trusted friend or if need be, the police.

Teach them to shout, ‘NO’ and call the police.

If they are home alone, make sure they keep a chain on the door.

Consider enrolling your child on a self-defence course to teach them helpful techniques.

What to do in an emergency –

Brief your child on how and when to dial 999.

Tell them to call a trusted neighbour, phone a friend or family member. Make sure the relevant telephone numbers are easily located.

In case of a fire, show your child escape routes and meeting points with the rest of the family. Check your smoke alarms routinely.